Wire rope and method of making the same



Dec.'4, 1934.

c. c. SUNDERLAND WIRE ROFE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Dec. 26, 192s 4 @Mg W44,

Patented Dec. 4,1934 g I I l V UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE ROPE METHOD OF MAKIN THE SAME Charles 0. Sunderland, Trenton, N. 1., assignor to John A. Roeblings Sons Company, Trenton, .N. L, a corporation of New Jersey 7 Application December 26, 1928, Serial No. 328,425

11 can. (01. 111-59) This invention relates to wire rope and to so that the wires in the strands and the strands methods for making the same, the especial object in the rope have a tendency to hug the core. of this invention being to provide an improved With this construction, travel of inequalities wire rope adapted'for general operating service. from one section to another is prevented, but Operating service conditions to which wire rope readjustment to operating conditions, also, is 60 maybe subjected vary greatly. For example, a prevented, so that such a rope does not secure rope sometimes must operate at slow speed, under maximum service under various operating condiextremely high tension and bending over sheaves tions. and drums of large diameter. Or the speed may In accordance with the method of the present be extremely high, the tension may be moderate invention, a wire rope is provided which shall 65 or lowand'the sheaves or drums may have small have the advantage of adjusting itself to operator medium diameters and these conditions areing conditions and shall avoid the disadvantage capable of many combinations. It would be imof permitting the above inequalities to travel practicable to provide separate ropes for each along its length and concentrate at certain points. possible operating condition, and it is important This result is secured by the provision of a 70 that the rope itself whenplaced in service should rope inwhich some of the wires in the strands readjust its manufactured condition to fit its opare laid up in accordance with the standard metherating conditions. d while others are formed previously into helices In the manufacture of the ordinary standard according to the other method, and preferably wire rope, a plurality of substantially straight the outer wires are formed into helices before 75 fires are laid up heiically on a central core to laying and preferably in helices such as to secure orm a strand and a plurality of such straight a substantial looseness of the outside wires on strands are laid up helically on a core to form the core or inside wires. The strands are then i the finished rope. The rope so formed is capable laid up ona core to form the rope, preferably of accommodating itself readily to various operwithout previously forming them into helices. so ating or service conditio This can readily be The drawing illustrates a preferred form of emseen when it is considered that in such standard bodiment of the invention, in which drawing: ropes the wires in the strands and'the strands Figure 1 is an outside yiew of the wire rope; inthe ropes are not formed to definite helicfifiso and that the wires and strands readjust themselves, Figure 2 is a cross section thereof. 85 that is, assume proper relative positions for equal- In the drawing, the rope I there shown as an izing stresses and strains. example, is made .of a plurality of strandslsur- Rope manufactured according to this standard rounding a central core 3. Each of these strands method has the disadvantage that inequalities in 2 is composed of a plurality of individual wires the wire tensions or strand tensions when closed laid upon a central core 5. In the preferred 90 into rope, or inequalities in size and hardness of construction shown, the ,method employed in l the center, though not occurring together at any forming the rope consists in laying the inner given section, tend to concentrate at one point wires 4 unformed about the coreTa wi hout P during the course of readjustment. Such inequalviously forming them into helices, for the itles have been found to travel a considerable wires 4 into helices and-then laying them on 95 l nsth of rope and con e trat at t same point, the wires 4- to form a straight strand, and then with the result that rapid deterioration with closing the rope with a plurality'of these strands. consequent short rope life takes place, which preferably without first forming the strands into would not occur if these inequalities remained helices."

distributed throughout the length of the rope. In a rope constructed in accordance with this 100 A second method of manufacture basbeen emmethod, wire inequalities are prevented from P y d, th t Of th h i ca ly formed wire and traveling from one section of rope to another, strand. with this method the individual wires of while the rope is permitted to readjust itself to the strands are formed into helices and then laid operating conditions.

about the core to form'straight strands after For best results it has been found that read- 105 which the straight strands themselves are formed iustinent takes place readily when the wires. into helices and then laid about a core to form formed in the strand are laid with a certain; the finished rope. In some cases, the wires and degree of looseness. That is, referring to the strands are formed to a helix having a slightly d awing, the diameter of the helix to which the;

smaller diameter than the diameter 61' the core outer wires 4 are formed is larger than the outer lip construction embodying all its i'eatures in the into the strandd 1 inthe art while retaining the invention defined -fore laying them into the-stran by the claims. 8. A wire. rope strand construction comprising What is claimed is: a plurality of inner wires and a plurality of outer 1. The method or making wire rope strand wireasaid inner wires beinglaidin r central core, and laying said helically formed an inner diameter larger than the outer diam- 10 wires loosely about said uni'ormed wires. 7

2. The method of constructing a wire rope them into the strand. a which comprises forming strands by laying a. 9. A wire rope comprising a plurality of plurality of uniorm'ed wires about a core, tormstrands laid up helically, each of said strands ing a plurality of wires into helices and laying comprising a plurality of'wire components laid D which comprises forming strands by laying a 10. A wire. rope comprising a plurality 01 wires, and laying up helically a plurality of them into helices, and an outer layer of wire strands so formed into a rope without forming components formed into helices before laying the strands helically before laying them into the them into the strand. I 11. A wire rope comprising a plurality of 4. The 'method of constructing a wire rope strands laid up helically, each of said strands which comprises forming strands by laying a comprising an inner layer of wire components plurality ot unformed wires about a core,-torm.- laid into the strand without previously forming l om nous or comcrios. man No. 1,983,249. a I I mental. 1934. i h cnamss SUNDERLAND. I

It is hereby. certified that error appears in i above numbered .patent requiring correction as follows:- Page 2, line 108, claim 9, for "wires" read wire components; and that the said Letters Patent should be me in the Patent Office. h

Signed sealed this 8tli'day of January, A. D. 1935.

, l I LesI-ieF -azer (Seal). Acting Coumissioner of Patents.

construction embodying all its i'eatures in the into the strandd 1 inthe art while retaining the invention defined -fore laying them into the-stran by the claims. 8. A wire. rope strand construction comprising What is claimed is: a plurality of inner wires and a plurality of outer 1. The method or making wire rope strand wireasaid inner wires beinglaidin r central core, and laying said helically formed an inner diameter larger than the outer diam- 10 wires loosely about said uni'ormed wires. 7

2. The method of constructing a wire rope them into the strand. a which comprises forming strands by laying a. 9. A wire rope comprising a plurality of plurality of uniorm'ed wires about a core, tormstrands laid up helically, each of said strands ing a plurality of wires into helices and laying comprising a plurality of'wire components laid D which comprises forming strands by laying a 10. A wire. rope comprising a plurality 01 wires, and laying up helically a plurality of them into helices, and an outer layer of wire strands so formed into a rope without forming components formed into helices before laying the strands helically before laying them into the them into the strand. I 11. A wire rope comprising a plurality of 4. The 'method of constructing a wire rope strands laid up helically, each of said strands which comprises forming strands by laying a comprising an inner layer of wire components plurality ot unformed wires about a core,-torm.- laid into the strand without previously forming l om nous or comcrios. man No. 1,983,249. a I I mental. 1934. i h cnamss SUNDERLAND. I

It is hereby. certified that error appears in i above numbered .patent requiring correction as follows:- Page 2, line 108, claim 9, for "wires" read wire components; and that the said Letters Patent should be me in the Patent Office. h

Signed sealed this 8tli'day of January, A. D. 1935.

, l I LesI-ieF -azer (Seal). Acting Coumissioner of Patents. 

